Call to save quarry's critically endangered spider

Buglife said opening the quarry as a campsite would disturb the habitat for horrid ground-weaver spiders

Urgent action is needed to secure the future of a quarry which is home to an critically endangered species of spider, a charity has said.

The invertebrate conservation trust Buglife has asked Plymouth City Council to protect Radford Quarry, a site which is home to a variety of wildlife including the horrid ground-weaver spider.

The charity said it was one of only four sites in the world - all of them in the Plymouth area - where the species of spider had been found.

A council spokesman said it was "completely committed to helping to protect this important county wildlife site".

Buglife said it has written to Plymouth City Council about protecting Radford Quarry

A spokesperson for Buglife said the council had previously refused plans to develop the quarry into a housing site but recently the site owner had opened it as a campsite which had disturbed its "precious and sensitive" habitats.

In addition, the council had announced plans for a Christmas market in the quarry during the period of time the spider species was known to be active, they added.

They said the recent developments had taken place without assessments of the impact on the quarry's wildlife.

'Area cordoned off'

Landowner Joe Radmore, who runs glamping retreat Stones and Stars on the site, said he had taken action to protect the spider.

"We have cordoned off the whole area of the habitat where the spiders might colonise."

He said he was yet to find one at the site but the habitat was "perfect for it".

"In terms of the Christmas market, this is not some Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, we are having 12 stalls of local artisan about 12km (7.5 miles) away from the spiders habitat.

"It's a very small local event nowhere near the habitat."

Buglife said not much was known about the horrid ground-weaver spider because of its scarcity.

The invertebrate experts described them as dwarf money spiders with bodies measuring 0.12in (3mm) and hairy legs which inspired their name since the Latin origin of the word 'horrid' is 'bristly'.

They said the spider had been discovered as new to science in 1989 by RA Stevens.

The charity's head of operations Andrew Whitehouse said the council had an "international responsibility to do everything that it can to protect its habitat".

A Plymouth City Council spokesman said it was in "direct discussions with the landowner to remind them of their responsibilities under planning law".

Jamie Robins, from Buglife said the spiders were "incredibly special" and was pleased the council was showing commitment to the project and were "taking all the steps they need to do, to secure the population."